Last Kiss
by V. L. MacKenzie
Summary: OneShot After the final battle with Naraku, Kagome is gravely wounded. What will InuYasha do? Sucky summary.


**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor do I claim to, own InuYasha and Co.

**A/N:** This was inspired by "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam. Which is why the title is "Last Kiss."

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**Last Kiss**

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"_InuYasha!" Kagome cried as she was flung through the air, Naraku's attack perfectly executed, giving InuYasha no time to go after her. Even if he ran at his fastest, he wouldn't be able to save her. Her voice rang through his head, unbearably loud._

"_Kagome!" he shouted in return, trying to get away from Naraku's cronies just long enough to get to her, to save her. His mind was racing with the insistent pleading for Kagome's life. He searched the air for Kirara, praying that she would be flying to save the miko. But one glance to his right showed him that the demon, taijiya, and monk were fairing no better in their attempts to get to their young friend._

_The sound of Kagome's body slamming into one of the trees that surrounded them was filled with the crack of bones and ripping of flesh. She let out a whimper before falling to the ground, her body shaking, working to stop her death._

_Pain filled him, forcing an anguished roar from his throat. _She was supposed to be my _mate_! She was supposed to stay beside me! _His mind lost a little of its hold on sanity, crying out for Kagome continuously. When he saw that her body stopped moving, the pain that went through him brought with it fury at those who had taken her from him. His dark gaze swung to the demons surrounding him, taunting him over her death._

_Another roar rent the air around them, causing their scents of confidence to waver uncertainly. They knew what he would do now that he had lost the one thing that could calm him, control his wild side. He would kill without mercy those who had taken her…and then kill himself._

"_Naraku," he growled, his eyes burning with tears of both despair and rage. "You will die for what you have done!" He raised Tessaiga, shouting, "Kaze no Kizu!" with a savage down strike._

_The light was a vibrant red as it flashed with his sadness and anger. It was too powerful for the other half-breed's body to handle and it exploded, sending InuYasha and the others flying in every direction until they hit trees, knocking each of them unconscious._

_The hanyou's last thought before becoming unconscious was,_ I've failed my Kagome just as I did Kikyo.

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InuYasha awoke abruptly, flinging himself upward to search the ground frantically for the fallen body of his love. He could scent her blood and the weak hold she still had on life. His eyes unerringly landed on her body, still lying on her stomach on the ground.

_Kagome_, he pleaded with her in his mind. _Please don't leave me. I'll do anything if you just don't leave me!_

Standing shakily, he stumbled to her, collapsing by her side, ignoring his own injuries. He knew she was trying to raise herself despite the weakness that clutched her.

Dragging her into his lap carefully, he turned her onto her back, praying that she would look up at him with those trusting, loving gray eyes. He brought her close to his chest, cringing at the wound she had on her stomach. Much like what Sesshomaru had once done to him, Naraku had slammed his hand through her abdomen before flinging her away. Her blood loss was great and it just kept pouring out onto him.

He put his hand to it, trying to stop the bleeding. Kagome had told him that wounds would stop bleeding quicker if there was pressure to cut off blood circulation, but he couldn't do it when he saw her already pale skin become almost translucent in pain at his first try.

"Kagome," he whispered, clasping her to his chest desperately, burying his face in her hair. "Please open your eyes. Please." The memories of his own mother's death slammed into him. He couldn't lose Kagome as he had his mother and Kikyo. He _needed her to stay with him_.

He gently kissed her, whispering, "Please don't leave me, Kagome." He pressed his forehead against hers, leaving her lips to allow the tears to trail down his face.

He felt her breath flutter against his lips. Lifting his head, he gazed down at her, watching as she opened her eyes little by little until she could focus on him.

"InuYasha," she breathed, trying to lift a hand to his face. When she failed, he lifted it himself, rubbing his cheek into her palm tenderly. "Please tell my family what happened. I don't want them to worry. And watch after Shippo. He can't control his powers right yet, so he could use another demon to…to…." Her voice drifted off, her eyes sliding closed.

"Kagome!" he shouted anxiously, gently shaking her. "Look at me! Don't you dare die on me, woman! Open your damned eyes!"

"Inu…." Her voice was so soft, he could barely hear it. "Please take care of yourself." Her breathing slowed, becoming shallow.

"Kagome!" His cry was unheeded as her body stiffened for one moment in his arms before becoming limp. "No! Kagome!" His arms tightened around her freezing body, bringing her as close to his chest as he could without hurting her. "Kagome, why did you have to die?" he demanded quietly. "Why did you have to leave me alone? Gods, I can't live a damn moment without you!" Hi voice was fierce, bordering on terrified. "How can you expect me to live without you?"

He could hear his friends rising, stumbling around before gaining their equilibrium. But he ignored them to hold Kagome's lifeless body to him for as long as he could, needing to keep her by him.

"Inu…Yasha…." Miroku seemed to be stuttering. InuYasha could hear him shake his head and clear his throat before going on. "Where…where is Kagome?"

When the hanyou didn't move, the monk saw who he was holding.

He moved to Sango's side, catching her before she fell. He then motioned towards their friend's trembling back with a brief nod of his head. The taijiya's eyes widened before filling with moisture. She raced towards the two huddled just inside the forest that surrounded them. "Kagome!" she screamed.

She was stopped by InuYasha's animalistic snarl accompanied by a snap of his teeth that left her shaking. He was…threatening them. If they went any closer, he would gladly kill them, even though he knew that they only wanted to see Kagome.

Which meant that she hadn't made it.

Tears spilling, the slayer accused, "This is all your fault! You said you would protect her! You said you would keep her safe during the battle!" Her voice rose with each word until it was almost too shrill to understand. "_It's all your fault Kagome's dead_!"

His body stiffened at the accusation, but he didn't deny it. He knew it was as she said. He'd told them he would protect her no matter what, but still she had been injured. She had still died.

He looked back to his friends, rising with Kagome in his arms. He said nothing to them, just leapt into the nearest tree, not acknowledging their shouts for him to return. He fled into the forest, following the scent he knew was his last chance. If he wouldn't save her, there was no hope of her return.

Each step felt like it took an eternity as he searched for the other man, his eyes looking into every shadow, finding every indentation made. _If he won't help her, I don't know if I'll be able to bear it._ He was almost insane; his consciousness was filled with the need to save her, to bring her back, berating him from every side. He just had to keep himself sane enough to follow the scent and find the man that would save her.

_If he doesn't, I'll let him kill me._

Suddenly, the scent was close and InuYasha found himself face to face with his half brother, who stood with his back to him, though he knew he was there.

"I see, InuYasha, that you have allowed your woman to be wounded once more." His face slowly looked at the human girl residing in the hanyou's arms. "Gravely, so it seems. So why would you seek me out? You know I do not care for the filthy vermin you encircle yourself with."

"Sesshomaru," he began, his voice breaking on the syllables. "Bring her back. I'll do anything you ask me to if you just _bring her back_." His voice was filled with urgency, a painful sadness that echoed throughout the forest.

The taiyoukai raised an elegant eyebrow at that. "You will do anything you are asked? Would you lay your life down at my feet? All for this ningen miko?"

"I'll do anything. I'd give you Tessaiga if you just save her."

Disbelief shone on the older brother's face for one tiny speckle of time before his gaze dropped down to the girl's pale face. She was just a human--the reincarnation of the one that had "killed" him, no less--yet InuYasha was willing to give the Tessaiga up for her life? A flicker of unwanted emotion surged within him as he was brought back to the thought of Rin, who he couldn't stand to picture being ripped from his life as this ningen had been from InuYasha's.

Tenseiga pulsed in its sheath, beckoning him to use it.

Slowly grasping it, he twisted to raise it against the girl's chin. He willed it to resurrect her. The workers of the Underworld were wrapping their chains around her, preparing to fully drag her back with them back to their world. He slashed through them easily until the girl's wound closed and breath suddenly filled her lungs. Her color slowly drifted back until her eyes opened and she peered up at InuYasha.

But he was too busy staring at Sesshomaru to return her gaze.

"What do I have to do, Sesshomaru?" he asked, fingers tightening on Kagome.

The taiyoukai turned away, already walking back to where he would find Rin and Jaken. "Consider it repayment for all the times your woman has protected Rin. Now we are even."

As the youkai disappeared, InuYasha looked down at Kagome. "Thank the gods," he whispered, leaning his forehead to hers, a joyful smile tilting his lips. "I thought I'd lost you."

Her weak grin curled her own lips. "Did you think I would let you go without a real last kiss? Ha." She put her hands to either side of his face and kissed him fully.

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**At first, I kinda wanted to make this a sad fanfic, but I decided that I like this way better. Also, it was too long to put into my _Series_. Sorry.**

**Reviews always welcome!  
**_**SS98**_


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